Energy saving projects in City buildings:

In 2016, the City hired an energy service company to do a complete energy audit of all city facilities. This audit helped us identify the cost-effective energy saving measures the City should pursue.

In February 2017, the City Commission approved $11.3 million in energy saving upgrades to City facilities. These projects will save $450,000 per year in energy savings and make our buildings more comfortable and functional.

The projects will impact facilities managed by Public Works & Parks and Recreation. The projects include:

LED lighting retrofit in City buildings, parking garages, sports fields, and parks

Upgrades to the heating and cooling equipment in many buildings

Upgrades to thermostats and heating/cooling controls

Weatherization projects in many buildings

New roofs at the Community Health Building, Fire Med Station #3, and the Community Building

New windows at City Hall

Energy saving policies and programs for citizens:

The City of Lawrence also strives to help citizens save energy and money.

We offer Weatherization Grants that help low-income families afford energy-saving upgrades to their homes.

We routinely update our building codes to comply with the latest International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), ensuring that new buildings and renovations are as energy efficient as possible.

Renewable energy projects on City buildings:

The City looks for opportunities to use free energy from the sun and wind wherever possible. Currently, we have:

A 100 kW solar array at Fire Station #5 (19th and Stewart). This array offsets about 20% of that station’s electricity usage.

A pilot project to demonstrate the use of solar energy to power parking lights. Just outside of City Hall, we installed a 25’ LED parking lot light, powered completely by solar energy.

A 10 kW solar PV array at the Prairie Park Nature Center. This array generates electricity for the facility, and offsets about 17% of the building’s usage with free, clean energy from the sun.

Renewable energy policies for citizens:

In 2013, our City Commission voted to reduce the building permit fees for installing solar PV or solar thermal projects in Lawrence. Previously, fees for a large solar PV array could have cost citizens over $1,000. The fee was reduced to a flat fee of $65 to reduce the fee barrier and to encourage our citizens to install solar.